Feature Set

NIM‘s feature set is vast covering all aspects of production. We orchestrated the user experience to be a streamline single point of entry for studios ranging from multi-site facilities to the single artist working alone. With a clean aesthetic and sophisticated design our goal is to create a platform that is fast and flexible. Growing up in the ever changing commercial world NIM meets the unique needs of the most dynamic environments.

Dashboard

• Overview

  The dashboard is the home base for all users. This area provides immediate access to all user assigned jobs, tasks, review items, and notes.

• My Jobs

  All jobs assigned to the user that are active and all jobs bookmarked by the user are listed here for instant access.

• My Tasks

  All tasks assigned to the user are available on the dashboard with filtering by the current status.

• My Review Items

  All review items that are owned by the user are quickly accessible through this view.

• My Notes

  Access all notes sent to you including whiteboard images without digging into the job.

• Bookmarks

  User defined bookmarks so you only see the jobs that are relevant.

Job Tracking

• Job Details

  Important job information is stored directly on the projects homepage with inline editing for all elements.

• Color Coded Tasks

  Task status is quickly recognizable by a studio defined color coding system.

• Task Scheduling

  Gantt chart style scheduling lets your artists clearly see the start and end date for assigned tasks.

• Task Progress Tracking

  Timecard hours are assigned to specific tasks and compared to estimated hours for a quick overview of progress across many simultaneous tasks on a job.

• Drag & Drop Assignment

  Adding tasks to assets and shots, artist assignment to tasks, and task status updates are all quickly and instantly updating using the task drag and drop menus.

• Archiving

  Log project archives with unique ID keys for quick job restoration. Add multiple jobs per backup media for maximum density.

• Media Logging

  Monitor all media coming in and out of the studio with date stamped tracking logs.

Project Structures

• Studio Defined Project Structures

  NIM manages your entire project including the folder structure on your server using templates that you define.

• Multiple Templates

  Multiple project structure templates can be created to accommodate the needs of different jobs.

• Multi-location Server Aware

  Attach multiple servers to a job and assigned project structure is replicated across all systems.

• Managed or Unmanaged

  NIM can be used with or without the benefit of managed project structures, keeping the system flexible to fit into all environments.

• Variable Based Project Structures

  Folders can be created using information on the job, asset, or shot to allow for unique file structures based on the objects attributes.

Review

• Whiteboard Tools

  Visually share feedback with artists using on video drawing and text tools. All whiteboard drawings are saved per frame and reviewable at any time.

• Drag and Drop

  Review items including movies, images, and PDFs can be uploaded for review using drag and drop direct from your desktop.

• Automatic Review Item Creation

  Using our connectors for Thinkbox’s Deadline Render Management, NIM support automatic uploading of Deadline Draft renders direct to the users task. The NIM API also enables any render management system to log renders, elements, and upload review items.

• PDF Note Export

  Review PDF export lets you generate a document compiling all notes to share with artists or clients.

• Application Links

  NIM provides optional application links to open full resolution elements in supported 3rd party software such as Tweak Software’s RV®.

Financial Tracking

• Bidding

  Create bids from studio defined line items and custom bid templates. Quickly version bids to keep track of changes throughout the bidding process. Multiple bids can be awarded to accommodate multiple phases of a job and client overages. Export PDFs to present directly to the client.

• Projections

  Project the financial outcome of your project on a daily, weekly, or full job basis. Enter in estimated time per artist and expenses to compare and contrast against the original bid and running actuals.

• Actualization

  Calculate job actuals from the awarded bid against artist timecards, project expenses, and client overages. Determine estimated hard costs and track money spent throughout the course of the project and compare your initial bid estimate against the final result.

• Timecards

  Chart the progression of a project by artists time with per user rate types and details actualization rules. Timecards can be entered using flat hours per task or using a time in / time out - break hours method. Artists can be categorized by location to quickly see the division of labor amongst multiple studios.

• Multi-Currency Aware

  Different currencies can be assigned to various items in NIM, and user-definable exchange rates will determine how to convert them all to a single currency for viewing aggregate sections like Actuals. Current exchange rates and historic exchange rates for dates in the past can be automatically pulled from external sources.

Version & Publishing

• File Management

  File naming conventions are automatically handled when saved from content applications supporting NIM’s connectors.

• Publishing

  Automatic publishing of files directly from 3rd party software or within NIM. The use of symbolic linking and file replication are available depending on server OS.

• Asset Masters

  Asset Masters provide version-less asset entities to streamline referencing systems.

• 3rd Party Integration

  NIM connectors plug directly into your favorite content creation software including Autodesk Maya®, Autodesk® 3ds Max®, Maxon® C4D™, SideFX Houdini, Adobe® AfterEffects®, Photoshop®, and Premiere®, The Foundry’s NukeStudio®, Nuke®, and Hiero®, Autodesk® Flame®, Thinkbox Software® Deadline®, and CoSpective CineSync® allowing you to select files by task and version rather than folder path and name. In timeline applications NIM is deeply integrated to provide full roundtrip functionality exporting timelines to NIM as shots and then importing newly rendered items back to the application.

Security

• Studio Defined Permissions

  Users are assigned a permission group defined by studio.

• Action Based Security

  Granular permission items allow for specific abilities to be granted on a per action level.

• Security Groups

  Security groups provide per object access to members of that group for jobs, assets, shots, and custom fields.

• Private Jobs

  Private jobs mean that only those users studio wide that are assigned to the project can see any the project information.

• Local Server

  NIM lives as a virtual appliance on your local network so all information is safely guarded behind your firewall and never leaves the facility.

• Active Directory / LDAP

  NIM supports the managment of users, permission groups, and security groups through Active Directory or LDAP.

• HTTPS Encrypted Communication

  The NIM VM can operate over HTTP or HTTPS with API Keys depending on your studios needs.

• API Keys

  API Keys provide per user security access to objects within NIM.

System Features

• Virtual Appliance

  By distributing NIM as a virtual appliance, we ensure that your server is fully configured and working from day one.

• Plug & Play

  Getting up and running with NIM is as easy as hitting start on your virtual server.

• Open Access

  NIM‘s open architecture allows us to incorporate existing web tools within a unified interface. 3rd party tools such as Autodesk® Wiretap™ and Autodesk® Backburner™ seamlessly interface to create a single point of access for your artists.

• Rule Based Notification

  Email notification keeps you up to date with all of your latest feedback, assignments, and more.

• API

  A robust Python and HTTP API allows you to connect any way you want. Build NIM access directly into your existing toolset and incorporate it’s strength throughout the studio.